The following is a true story. The youth’s name has been changed.

Ahmad is a normal teenage boy. He is full of life, brimming with energy, and intellectually curious. He is quick to smile and easy to please. Ahmad is not a normal teenage boy. He has seen far too much death and destruction. He has witnessed the murder of his siblings and lost one of his parents. You see, Ahmad is from Gaza.

Ahmad is fortunate. Unlike many Palestinian children killed or maimed in Gaza by US-made bombs and missiles, Ahmad was brought to America for treatment before the current president “drained the swamp” and visas for Palestinians, wounded, maimed, or otherwise damaged by the Zionist branch of the American war machine, dried up.

After his surgery here in the States, Ahmad went to “Heaven”, or so he thought. Delirious from the waning effects of the anesthesia, Ahmad believed he had died and gone to “Heaven”. His eyes were wide with wonder. His speech could be described as otherworldly. Even though Ahmad was in “Heaven,” he was on a mission. He had to find the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Ahmad was frantically searching for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in “Heaven”. “Why?” he was asked by members of the medical team surrounding him. His answer was simple and direct: “I must find the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so I can complain to him against the Muslims, that they have abandoned the people of Gaza.” After explaining his urgent mission, Ahmad realized he wasn’t in “Heaven”. He explained, “None of the many nurses who had gathered around were wearing hijab.”

Thus did Ahmad return to earth after his brief visit to “Heaven.” He came back, but his complaint remains. We Muslims, generally speaking, have indeed abandoned our brothers and sisters in Gaza. This is a sad and extremely grave development.

If we reflect on some of the prophetic teachings concerning the abandonment of our fellow Muslims, we can begin to understand the gravity of Ahmad’s complaint. For example, one of our foremost duties as Muslims is to come to the aid of our brothers and sisters during their times of need. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated, “The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim; he neither oppresses him, nor lies to him, nor abandons him, nor does he debase him…” (Muslim, 2564).

What are the consequences of neglecting this duty? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, “No one abandons a Muslim in a situation where his sanctity is violated or his honor debased except that Allah will abandon him in a situation where he would love Divine assistance. And no one aids a Muslim in a situation where his honor is debased or his sanctity violated except that Allah will aid him in a situation where he would love Divine assistance…” (Abu Dawud, 4884).

The current ceasefire in Gaza does not mean our abandonment of the Palestinians has ended. It only means that we have allowed their plight to become so desperate that many see an agreement that guarantees neither a permanent ceasefire nor Palestinian statehood as a great opening.

While we welcome the cessation of the daily massacres, we must all redouble our efforts, on whatever front we find ourselves, to ensure that we can move beyond seeing a fragile one-sided ceasefire as a victory for those who will continue to be oppressed and occupied, toward a lasting peace defined by self-determination for the people of Palestine. We owe it to Ahmad and all other Palestinian children. Until then, his complaint remains valid.

Imam Zaid Shakir

© October 12, 2025